SOCCER NEWS:THE SCOTTISH Football Association has urged caution over suggestions it will bid to host the 2016 European Championship. The SFA and its counterpart from Wales will hold talks in February over whether to progress with a formal proposal at an International Football Association Board meeting.

Crucial to those discussions, though, will be confirmation from Uefa in the coming weeks about its criteria for hosting major tournaments.

As it stands, only four grounds between the two countries - the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Glasgow's Hampden Park, Celtic Park and Ibrox - have a 30,000-plus capacity, the figure stipulated for previous championships. Either that has to be lowered by European football's governing body or other grounds in Scotland and Wales - Cardiff City's new stadium, the Liberty Stadium in Swansea plus Tynecastle and Easter Road in Edinburgh - would have to undergo redevelopment.

A further complication could be raised by the Euros' proposed expansion to 24 teams. That would require 10, rather than the present eight, venues to host matches. "As we've always said, we would love to host the European Championship in Scotland," the SFA said in a statement. "However, we realise it's a huge undertaking and, as far as 2016 goes, we simply couldn't host it by ourselves. If there was a feeling a bid was a possibility, we would then commission a feasibility study."

There is almost no possibility, as had been suggested, of Northern Ireland joining the bidding process. If Scotland and Wales decide to progress after February, they will have as little as four months to fully prepare the bid. The fortunes of Poland and Ukraine, much-criticised joint hosts of Euro 2012, will affect Uefa's attitude to subsequent shared bids. France is expected to tender for the 2016 tournament while Spain, Sweden and Norway have expressed an early interest.

Earlier yesterday Irish Football Association president Raymond Kennedy said he was keen to have further talks with his Scottish counterparts over the prospect of helping them host the championships.

The Scottish Football Association favour a joint bid with Wales, as Northern Ireland does not possess the stadia required to be co-hosts in a two-country bid. And, despite his enthusiasm, Kennedy admits a radical overhaul of facilities in the province is needed.

Plans for a new national stadium to replace Windsor Park - the home of Linfield - have long been in the pipeline but no decision has yet been taken about the best way forward. Kennedy said: "I would be delighted if we were part of any bid for a championship that would give us some games. But, frankly, I do not think we are in that position at the moment because we do not have any stadiums that are suitable.

"Hopefully things might change and we will have a new national stadium in about two years' time." He added: "We are due to meet the Scots in other business in the new year and would be prepared to have more formal talks then about a possible bid for the championship. At the moment, we have held only tentative discussions about the situation. It is certainly an interesting idea."

The IFA are likely to find themselves frozen out of any bid, with their only hope being getting the SFA and the Football Association of Wales to agree a three-country proposal. However, Uefa are unlikely to accept three host nations, as the privilege brings automatic qualification for the finals.

• Guardian Service